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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · land · wake · bay · saw · charge · spell · pitcher

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. saw — the tool
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stem — to come from
  10. charge — in control
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. land — a country
  15. spell — magic
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wake — a trail
  20. land — ground
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. land — to come down
  23. charge — a price
  24. spell — letters

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com